The Conjunction of the Spheres

[Catoid]

The Conjunction of the Spheres

(Minor TW3 spoilers below)

Just a quick general lore question here, that perhaps those who have read the books or played the games more thoroughly than I have could answer. Is it ever explained whether the Conjunction of the Spheres that brought humans into the world of The Witcher is supposed to have involved real-life Earth somehow?

The reason I ask is that in TW3, Dijkstra quotes

Spoiler

Shakespeare ("If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well it were done quickly")

but attributes it to what I assume is a piece of literature known within the Witcherverse. I wasn't sure if the implication was that someone from our world who knew the quote crossed over during the Conjunction and the quote later became incorporated into a new piece of literature, or if it was just meant as an otherwise irrelevant joke or allusion.

 

[dragonbird]

The quote is just an easter egg, so I wouldn't consider it important or relevant - this isn't Bioshock:Infinite-style crossovers, and

Spoiler

Shakespeare wouldn't have been born when the conjunction happened

 

[Riddlin]

The quote is just an easter egg, so I wouldn't consider it important or relevant - this isn't Bioshock:Infinite-style crossovers, and

Spoiler

Shakespeare wouldn't have been born when the conjunction happened

Hummm, Ciri story related spoiler below...

Spoiler

but didn't Ciri basically describe 'visiting' the Cyberpunk 2077 world somewhere in the game...I think it was to Geralt when she was tying up her loose ends before the final fight...THAT would be a kewl little bonus adventure in CP 2077 to have her jump in for a story or two

Sorry, wasn't trying to derail the thread...

 

[gtcarlson]

If you read the books, it's clear that the world of the Witcher is not earth and at that same time clear that Earth is one of the "spheres". As for where humans are from, not that I recall.

Edit: "clear" might be the wrong word. It's heavily implied.

 

[Catoid]

Right, I was just wondering if Earth is one of the "other worlds" and if anybody crossed over from there during the conjunction.

Spoiler

but didn't Ciri basically describe 'visiting' the Cyberpunk 2077 world somewhere in the game...I think it was to Geralt when she was tying up her loose ends before the final fight...THAT would be a kewl little bonus adventure in CP 2077 to have her jump in for a story or two

Spoiler

Maybe Ciri will be the equivalent of the "Mysterious Stranger" from Fallout 3 and randomly turn up to help the player and then disappear.

 

[GuyNwah]

Ciri's jumping among the spheres at the end of "Lady of the Lake" and ending up in Arthurian Wales suggests that Earth is a sphere, but possibly not one involved in the Conjunction.

 

[Victorzilki]

Are spheres elements? Like Water, Fire and etc... Is the fonts from mages and sorceress doing magic, I always understood this way!

 

[GuyNwah]

Spheres are worlds, at least some of them habitable worlds supporting life. During the Conjunction, life forms crossed between the worlds and were stranded there; in Geralt's world, they are monsters that he hunts.

Magic is different; it is the harnessing of Chaos.

 

[Nilhilion]

In Witcherverse the humans had came from a world they had allegedly destroyed, at least according to one of Aen Elle. Avallac'h, if I'm not mistaken, said so in "The Tower of The Swallow", or "Lady of The Lake." Though the name of the world is not specified. In the "Lady of The Lake" Ciri travels to what seems to be Arthurian Wales and meets Galahad, also the title may suggest that Ciri ends up as THE Lady of The Lake in canon Witcherverse, although it's pure speculation. But the fact of Witcherverse is that travel across space and time is possible by those with haen icher (elder blood) gene, such as Ciri. So there is the possibility, that our Earth is indeed one of the spheres between which traversal is possible, but it's never explicitly confirmed. However, the postmodernistic intertwining of folklore, customs, literature etc seems to indicate that Earth is, indeed, one of the many worlds in the Witcherverse.

 

[JohnnyWalks]

In "Lady of the Lake" Ciri gets to a point where she is jumping through worlds over and over. Some of these worlds, by their description, suggest being Earth; like the one where she lands in a "dumpster", filled with rats and filth, and when she gets out of the "dumpster" she finds herself walking on a certain rocky floor which made Kelpie's hooves rattle unsettingly (what in my opinion was a highway), on the horizon she could see smoke rising towards the sky. This was for me some strong criticism against pollution. Nice touch Andrzej

To answer your question though, it's possible that the Conjunction brought humans to the world of the Witcher from Earth, though not for Dikjstra's quote since the Conjunction happened way earlier than Shakespeare's birth.

 

[Charcharo]

Or there is some guy called Shakespeare in the Witcher world... who was similar (but not quite) to our own.

Wont be the first time strange shit like this happens in fiction ...

 

[dragonbird]

Remember there are also Duran Duran, Madonna and Monty Python quotes in the game (and a whole bunch of others)

Sometimes an Easter Egg is just an Easter Egg...

 

[Pug.]

There are dozens and dozens of literary easter eggs scattered throughout the world: a line from Catullus 16, a bit of Nietzsche thrown in for good measure ... even a few modern film references (e.g. to Kill Bill). Using those as a basis to support a Bioshock Infinite - as Dragonbird put it - cross over is precarious.

 

[craigyboy]

Don't forget dead Tyrion! :thumbsup:

 

[Nilhilion]

A good fiction is one that is relatable and believable to a point were you can justify it existing IRL. That's why Sapkowski is so good.

 

[Riverdragon]

"this is Skelliga!!!!"

 

[Kallelinski]

The scholars in the witcher world use Latin just like we do for scientific labels.

So unless they had their own Roman Empire, I would assume at least some humans came from Earth.

Edit: just skipped through, even merchants use it.

Blood of Elves

“Vizimir forced Novigrad to introduce the ius stapulae. Foltest of Temeria retaliated with a retortive, absolute ius stapulae in Wyzima and Gors Velen. That was a great blow for Redanian merchants so Vizimir increased the tax on Temerian products. He is defending the Redanian economy. Temeria is flooded with cheap goods coming from Nilfgaardian manufactories. That’s why the customs officers are so keen. If too many Nilfgaardian goods were to cross the border, the Redanian economy would collapse. Redania has practically no manufactories and the craftsmen wouldn’t be able to cope with competition.”

“Ten per cent ad valorem!” yelled the dwarven merchant from amidships, waving the fox skin about. “That’s how much I owe you and I’m not going to pay a copper more!”

“Discovery! A great discovery!” shouted Linus Pitt, jumping up and down by the barge side. “An entirely new species unknown to science! Absolutely unique! Oh, I’m so grateful to you, witcher! As of today, this species is going to appear in books as… As Geraltia maxiliosa pitti!”

 

[dragonbird]

The scholars in the witcher world use Latin just like we do for scientific labels.

So unless they had their own Roman Empire, I would assume at least some humans came from Earth.

Or it's just a way of translating it so that we can understand it? I don't think that the "Common Tongue" was really English (or Polish, or whatever other language you read the book in, so why would "Latin" really be Latin?

 

[Kallelinski]

They could have just used the Elder Speech then.

Elder Speech (hen llinge) is predominantly, an elven language but technically it refers to all languages originating prior to the Conjunction of the Spheres. As it is one of the oldest languages still in use, it is referred to as the "Old" or "Elder" Speech while the lingua franca is "Common Speech". It is mainly used by the elves and dryads, though mages, scientists and the more educated also understand it.

 

[Nilhilion]

@Dragonbird @Kallelinski

In the Lady of the Lake Ciri was able to communicate with Gallahad. This seems to imply that Common is similar to language used in Arthurian times (if there ever were such times and if Arthurian Wales are actually our Earth or simply some other world)